148MW Solar Plant Attracts Visitors Through 'Energy Tourism' (page 4)

'Vastness' enjoyed from hill, panel failures discovered by drone

2018/01/21 17:42

Kenji Kaneko, Nikkei BP CleanTech Institute

Concern about influence of fog caused by 'Yamase'

What has been the operation status at Japan's largest mega-solar plant since it started two years ago? I asked Eurus Technical Service Corp (Minato-ku, Tokyo), which provides operation & maintenance (O&M) services at this plant, this question.

"Since it started two years ago, the power generation amount has outperformed initial estimates," said Satoshi Nakamura, chief of Solar Business Operation, Eurus Technical Service. "Typhoons strike the Tohoku region more often than before, and, in fact, the amount of power generation is affected by rain in summer. However, thanks to the favorable performance in spring, the power generation amount is relatively high on a yearly basis" (Fig. 8 & 9).

Fig. 9: Panels were arrayed in accordance with the terrain using pile foundations at the Eurus Rokkasho Solar Park's Chitosedaira-kita Plant.

"On the Pacific Ocean side of the Tohoku region, cold winds called Yamase blow from spring to summer," Nakamura said. "Yamase is said to cause cold summer damage every five years at Rokkasho-mura. Fortunately, Yamase has not blown for the two years since the plant began operation, but I am worried about its impact on power generation, because Yamase also causes fog."